Sealing means for liquids



NOV. 12, 1940. TEEPLE I 2,221,496

SEALING MEANS FOR LIQUIDS Filed Aug. 26, 1939 ATTORNEYS,

Patented Nov. 12, 1940 PATENT OFFICE SEALING S FOR LIQUIDS Charles P. Teeple, Park Ridge, 111., assignor to Crane Packing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application August 26, 1939, Serial N0. 292,133

1 (llaim.

This invention relates to improvements in sealing means for liquids, such, for example, as water pump seals.

It has been proposed heretofore to providea Eb seal in the form of a ring having a smooth, flat surface, said ring being constructed of hard, antifriction material such as Bakelite, carbon, or as an alternative, certain non-abrasive metals or alloys. These rings rotate against a fiat, annular, fixed surface such as a part of the housing of an automobile waterpump and are yieldingly held against their seats by a coil spring which rotates with the hub of the impeller. As an alternative arrangement, the ring is sometimes held against rotation and engages a flat, annular surface on the impeller.

In either case, the leakage at one location is sealed by the relatively rotating annular surfaces and leakage in another direction is sealed by a second means or packing ring which engages a cylindrical surface concentric with the 'axis of the shaft.

The present improvement is directed, in gen eral, to the second sealing means and comprises a flexible unit consisting of a collar of waterproof material such as rubber or preferably the synthetic compound known as Neoprene, and a spring member surrounding saidcollar.

The object of the invention is to provigiea seal of this character which is of simple" form; may be manufactured cheaply and one which maintains an effective seal against the leakage of various liquids, including water and oil.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the spring member of the assembly; and

Fig, 3 is an end elevation of said spring.

The assembly shown includes part of a conventional automobile water pump modified to receive the sealing means of this invention. Said sealing means, however, is adapted to other types of pumps and to classes of service other than pumps and also where leakage of liquids other than water is to be prevented.

With reference to Fig. l, the pump housing has a cylindrical bearing member H) which is provided with a machined, annular bearing surface to ll in a plane at right angles to the axis of the shaft. A bushing H. or sleeve, which may be made of bronze or other suitable material, is positioned within the cylindrical extension E to form an anti-friction bearing for the rotatable pump shaft l3. Within the pump housing is the usual impeller H keyed to said shaft. A thrust washer and sealing member I5 is loosely positioned about the shaft l3 out of contact therewith and between the impeller and the smooth bearing surface H and rotates with the shaft, 5 as hereinafter described. Said washer is made of Bakelite, carbon, non-abrasive metal, or of. other suitable material which has the capacity of cooperating with the cast iron or other metallic bearing surface II to maintain a fluidtight seal and having a low coeflicient of friction when one annular surface is rotated with respect to the other.

Said anti-friction washer I5 is yieldingly held against the bearing surface ll by the flexible seal ng unit about to be described. Said washer is caused to rotate with the impeller by any suitable connections, as for example by radial ears or lugs l6 which are received in slots in the annular extension I! on the impeller hub l8. go It will be seen that when the washer I5 is thrust against the bearing surface, the fluid within the pump body is prevented from flowing inwardly between the two, toward the shaft.

The flexible sealing unit comprises a sleeve or collar 19 formed of deformable material such as rubber, synthetic material known as Neoprene or other flexible and liquid impervious material which is substantially free from deterioration under the specific conditions in which it may be used. The unit comprises also a spring material retaining ring 20, as shown in Fig. 2, and a plurality of resilient fingers 2| which extend axially and which flare outwardly to conform to and to embrace the outer surface of the flexible sleeve l9. Said'spring maybe stamped from tempered spring bronze or it may be otherwise formed of suitable flexible material.

The flexible collar l9 flares outwardly at both ends from the middle section, or, otherwise expressed, it is of generally cylindrical form but with its middle section of reduced diameter. Also, the wall is preferably thicker at the ends than in the middle, and each end surface has a shallow recess 22 therein acting somewhat as a suction cup to further seal against leakage at each end when the collar is compressed somewhat, as it is in service. The resilient fingers 2| also extend in V opposite directions and embrace the flexible collar, as stated.

A retaining spring wire 23 is provided to hold the washer l5 in its recess in the impeller hub, when the parts are not fully assembled. It will be noted that the flexible collar does not depend on its seat in an annular recess to provide the 55 necessary seal at one end but that both ends are sealed in the same manner by pressing against flat, parallel surfaces and being yieldingly held by the spring fingers wherebythe device as a whole, when under compression longitudinally or axially, tends to expand radially also.

The flexible sealing collar is not subjected to wear by being pressed against a relatively movable surfacebut on the contrary the contacting surfaces at each end of said dollar do not rotate with respect to said collar, i. e. when one element rotates the adjacent element rotates also. The sealing unit has the advantage of the use of flexible rubber or Neoprene, and of the spring for making the same effective, but without necessarily combining the two members into a unitary Fig. 3 illustrates a modification of the spring construction which in this instance may comprise a retaining metal band 24 to which is secured a plurality of wire loops 25, extending in opposite directions. Said loops may be formed of spring brass or bronze, spring steel or the like and the loops at each end may comprise a single length of wire. bent back and forth and secured by welding or by mechanical fastening devices.

Various changes may be made in the form and construction of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

I claim:

A. sealing unit comprising a sleeve of deformable material impervious to the liquid to be sealed, a retaining band of material around the same near the middle, resilient fingers extending in opposite directions from said band and engaging said sleeve near each end thereof, and shallow grooves in the opposite end faces of said sleeve.

CHARLES P. TEEPLE. 

